Animal Style Fries at In-N-Out Burger

At West Coast burger chain In-N-Out Burger, there are only a few things on the menu: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and drinks. That’s it. The fun comes in customizing your burger according to the In-N-Out lingo. While nowhere on the bare-bones menu, there’s a whole separate language for placing your order. Ask for a "2-by-4" for a double cheeseburger with four slices of American. Vegetarian? Your only option is a "Grilled Cheese"—cheeseburger, sans burger. And order your burger "Animal Style" for extra sauce and chopped grilled onions mixed in with your cheese.

To any In-N-Out fan, the "secret menu" is an open secret. But while just about every other cheeseburger comes out Animal Style, it's less well-known that you can get your fries Animal Style, too. What does that mean? Your tray of fries comes topped with a mass of melty cheese, the same grilled onions, and a heart-stopping ladle of Thousand Island dressing.

In approaching the animal, you’ll need a plan of attack. My recommendation: stop admiring, grab a fork, and stir ‘em up. Wait too long and you’ll end up with garden-variety fries under rethickened cheese, but start mixing early and every crispy fry will get its share of the Animal Style wealth. Which is all any In-N-Out fry really wants.